This article is an in-depth guide to Taiwanese cuisine, covering restaurant recommendations, price comparisons, and locals' hidden gems.
For more in-depth analysis, view the complete guide.
When it comes to Yilan seafood, most people think of Zhuangwei or coastal aquaculture, but the real essence lies in Su'ao Port and Nanfangao. This is the largest nearshore fishing base in northeastern Taiwan, where the clockwise Kuroshio branch brings abundant migratory fish, keeping Yilan's fish markets maintaining high cost-effectiveness.
As a field worker who has visited fishing ports all over Taiwan, I especially recommend approaching Yilan seafood from the perspective of "food fish culture" — not just eating fresh-caught fish, but understanding how these fish are caught, selected, and cooked.
Why Su'ao and Nanfangao?
Su'ao Port's geographical conditions are fascinating: surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the Pacific Ocean, in winter the China Coastal Current and the Kuroshio meet here, forming what's called the "tidal channel." This terrain makes Su'ao a distribution hub for mackerel, dolphinfish, and red snapper. Fishing boats usually return to port between four and six in the early morning — if you want truly first-hand seafood, you must adapt to this schedule.
Nanfangao is famous for its longline and single-hook fishing methods, which cause the least damage to fish. Prices are usually 30-50% higher than trawl-caught fish, but freshness and meat quality are noticeably better. Interestingly, most fish shops in Nanfangao are located next to the auction market, and the masters are used to directly purchasing from fishing boats in the early morning. This "SNG fish" (boat-to-door) model is becoming increasingly rare throughout Taiwan.
Recommended Spots: From Fish Market to Table
Nanfangao Fish Market (Su'ao District Fishermen's Association Auction Hall)
This is one of the few places in Taiwan where you can still observe the auction process. The peak is from four to six in the early morning — you can see vendors wearing headlamps moving between buckets of fish, and masters directly negotiate prices with trusted boat captains to secure the sizes they want. You can closely observe whether the mackerel's silver-blue luster is饱满, whether the pomfret eyes are clear and bright — very practical "fish knowledge"洗礼. After watching the auction, I recommend going to the unnamed breakfast shop next to the fish market for a bowl of fish belly congee or fried squid, accompanied by free preserved radish — that's the authentic "fresh" flavor.
Neipi Seafood Dining Area
Neipi Road in Nanfangao has about a dozen seafood restaurants, which is where local fishermen go to eat after work. The特色 is that they don't do tourist DM — all dishes are decided by the老板娘 based on the day's catch. For NT$800-1,200 you can get four dishes and a soup, compared to NT$1,500-2,000+ at comparable seafood restaurants in Taipei, the pricing here is堪称 "佛心" (heart of a Buddha/very generous). The signature dish is usually blanched fresh-caught mullet or garlic steamed fan shrimp, with traditional Taiwanese seasoning — ginger, soy sauce, rice wine — not complicated but able to bring out the fish's umami.
Su'ao Steamed Seafood Cuisine
Rising in popularity over the past two years, steam pot cuisine is marketed as "preserving original flavor." These restaurants usually offer set meals, with NT$1,500-2,500 per person for three to four kinds of seafood platters. The advantage of steam pots is that fish, shrimp, and shellfish cook simultaneously without time differences, which is very visitor-friendly. However, older folks in fishing villages aren't quite used to this "steam cooking method," feeling it lacks the "pan-fried" aroma. So if you want to experience traditional flavors, I still recommend the dining-style restaurants.
Fish Balls and Dried Fish Specialty Shops Near Su'ao Cold Spring
Besides the cold spring, fish ball industry is also a local specialty of Su'ao. The real "Su'ao balls" are made from lizard fish (called "goumuso" in Taiwanese), but in recent years due to resource depletion, many shops have mixed in shark or other white fish, making the texture noticeably different. I recommend finding shops that pound the fish paste on-site — the color should be milky white rather than sickly white, and it should feel sticky but not spring back. Xiasinguang is a small settlement where you can find traditional handmade fish balls, NT$150-250 for a pack.
For dried fish, Nanfangao's mackerel dried fish is a classic, usually NT$80-120 per piece. After charcoal roasting, the oil aroma becomes very concentrated, perfect for pairing with beer. This product has also been exported to supermarkets in Tokyo, Japan, selling for around ¥500-800 yen — showing its quality has been recognized.
Practical Information
Regarding transportation, taking Taiwan High Bus or Kavalan Bus from Taipei to Su'ao takes about two hours, with fares under NT$200; driving on National Highway 5 and exiting at Su'ao Interchange, then turning right to take Provincial Highway 2 toward Nanfangao takes about ten minutes. If taking the train, you can get off at Su'ao Station or Nan'ao Station, then renting a scooter is the most convenient option, with rental fees around NT$300-500/day.
Regarding business hours, fish market auctions run from four to seven in the early morning, dining places open around 10 AM and close at 2 PM, dinner service runs from 5 PM to 8 PM. Most seafood restaurants don't have fixed closing days, but I recommend avoiding the 2nd and 16th day of the lunar month (fishing ceremony days), as many small shops will be closed.
Budget reference: a meal at a local dining place costs NT$800-1,500/person; seafood restaurant set meals cost NT$1,500-2,500/person; buying fresh at the fish market and having it cooked on-site costs NT$500-800 for a very generous spread.
Travel Tips
If you want to deeply experience Yilan's seafood culture, I recommend planning a two-day, one-night trip: on the first day, go to Nanfangao Fish Market to watch the auction in the early morning, have lunch at a dining place, in the afternoon visit the Guanyin Rock coastal erosion landscape, in the evening return to Su'ao for dried fish paired with local beer; on the second morning, visit the Chaoyang Community to explore traditional fish cooking stoves, or experience clamming activities at Zhuangwei coastal area.
Final reminder: Su'ao Port has very strong sea winds — if visiting in winter, be sure to bring a jacket; in summer, be sure to protect from sun, as most fishing port activities are outdoors. Also, the fish market in the morning inevitably has a fishy smell — if concerned, you can bring mint nasal strips, or simply wait until after 8 AM to buy pre-packaged fish at the vendor area.
